EU Health Warning Is Also For Thai Consumers' Sake

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

EU health warning is also for Thai consumers' sake

By The Nation

The European Union has warned Thailand about pesticides in food exports; it's time to help our farmers switch to more organic methods

The recent decision by Thailand to ban five types of vegetable exports to the European Union (EU), as a pre-emptive move to control the pesticides contained in certain Thai exported vegetables, is a warning about the adverse effects of chemical pesticides.

The Thai government will ban the export of basil, chilli, bitter gourd, eggplant and parsley to the EU, effective from February 1. These vegetables are the main ingredients in several Thai dishes.

The move is an effort to curb the damage from a possible future ban by the EU. The self-imposed export ban came after the EU earlier notified the government over contaminated shipments of produce from Thailand over the past two years. The EU also threatened to ban these products if the problem is not fixed.

After turning a deaf ear to the EU warning, Bangkok decided to put on hold exports of these vegetables until the issue is resolved domestically. But the official announcement has come almost too late to show the EU that Thailand has finally decided to address the hygiene issue of some farm exports.

The issue is crucial indeed. It shows that local farmers may have been using excessive amounts of hazardous pesticides on their crops. During a recent press conference, Thai independent researchers indicated that farmers here are continuing to use certain dangerous chemicals that are already banned in many countries. Meanwhile, imports of chemical pesticides have risen sharply over the past 10 years. This trend runs counter to the global campaign to encourage farmers to go organic.

Thai farmers should be using more local organic fertilizers instead of imported chemical pesticides. Hazardous pesticides can contaminate the soil, and the impact can last more than one generation. In addition, contamination can spread to neighbouring farms. Chemical pesticides may bring good profits in the short run, but they have a severe, negative effect in the long run.

This episode not only tarnishes the reputation of Thai agricultural exports but also causes concern over the health impact of consuming these products, which have been a major source of foreign-exchange earning for decades.

The issue should have been better handled at a much earlier stage. The EU has sent several warnings to the Thai authorities over the past couple of years about pesticide contamination in agricultural exports. The authorities typically were slow, perhaps even negligent, in their response.

A series of measures should have been implemented. Certain types of hazardous pesticides should have been banned a long time ago. Farmers should have been educated on the effects of prolonged use of such pesticides, and the authorities should have shown them sources for better alternatives or home-grown organic fertilisers.

The most frequently heard excuse from farmers who refuse to go for organic farming is that they cannot afford the extra time and cost of doing so. However, this EU ban shows that the additional short-term cost of using environmentally friendly fertilisers and farming methods is worth the investment. Promoting these methods will not only restore the reputation of Thai exports but also upgrade the quality and prices of Thai agricultural exports.

The Thai authorities must take this issue seriously by banning all hazardous pesticides, in spite of the pressure from major chemical-importing conglomerates. Farmers must be properly educated about the effects of the pesticides they use. After all, they too are directly exposed to these substances, day in day out. The authorities must also impose stricter tests and regulations to check the quality of Thai agricultural products to ensure they are safe for consumers not only here but in all export markets.

There is an alarming endnote to this issue: Vegetables sold on the local market generally have lower sanitary standards compared to those for exports. If the EU has sent us a warning about chemical contamination in our food exports, imagine what Thai consumers are exposed to every day.

-- The Nation 2011-01-27

[asiawatcher]

If the farmers cannot afford the extra time or cost then raise your prices! The time will be given back because some won't buy, thus less demand for labour to produce the products and the ones who will pay more solves the money issue to pay for organic methodologies.

[satiariyan]

There is an alarming endnote to this issue: Vegetables sold on the local market generally have lower sanitary standards compared to those for exports. If the EU has sent us a warning about chemical contamination in our food exports, imagine what Thai consumers are exposed to every day.

I wonder whether this statement actually does apply. Consider local markets with vegetables brought in daily by local farmers or middle men. Not much control here, they say, and even chemical pesticides fertilizers, etc constitute costs most farmers would prefer not to have. Consider the fact that local consumers usually don't have the same standard as EU bureacrats to whom even the curvature of bananas or the uniform redness of tomatoes matters. Not to mention what it takes to make them look fresh weeks after they were harvested. Perhaps, when push come to shove, one isn't too bad off with the not-so-perfect looking tomatoes and cucumbers bought on the small neighborhood market?

[olivier2553]

The author of this article obviously needs courses in agriculture:

Thai farmers should be using more local organic fertilizers instead of imported chemical pesticides.

Replace pesticides with fertilizers, as both are interchangeable. Funny, isn't it?

It is a great news to me to discover that Thai cuisine uses parsley, so far, all I could see, was coriander.

[twix38]

At last this issue is starting to become more widely reported and understood.

The worst thing about it for us all is that standards and controls in Thailand mean that those living here consume quantities of hazardous and potentially cancer causing chemicals on a daily/weekly basis without much (if any) food and safety standards being implemented or properly applied/checked.

It can take years for a cancer to form or a liver problem or other health problem and the cause is impossible to locate or track. I truly wonder how many are due to a build up of these chemicals over years in our body because of the disregard for proper food safety in Thailand!

Luckily the EU protect their population and it appears this will just mean we in Thailand have even more chance in the food lottery to end up with food we think is good for us that may in fact be better left to rot.

It's not only the EU. In the past 2 or 3 years for periods of time Japan banned rice and Australia Oranges, both imports from Thailand and probably more besides.

(may have been vice versa i.e. Japan oranges and Australia rice - can't remember for sure).

There is scant thought to health in Thai food cultivation and production. Taste & money are the only concern here with weak and uninforced food safety standards and hygiene.

It's about time that this issue was aired more fully and taken seriously.

Edited January 27, 2011 by twix38

[mistephenso]

It is a great news to me to discover that Thai cuisine uses parsley, so far, all I could see, was coriander.

"Thai" parsley is used is many Thai dishes - it is nothing like the parsley you would find in a supermarket in the west though (Google it and you'll see)....

And yes, coriander is used a lot too!

[silp1979]

this is disgusting!

That is why the cancer rate in Thailand is so high!

but anyway to say it like the locals "mai pen lai" we all have to die sooner or later...

i prefer later, actually

Edited January 27, 2011 by silp1979

[satiariyan]

this is disgusting!

That is why the cancer rate in Thailand is so high!

but anyway to say it like the locals "mai pen lai" we all have to die sooner or later...

i prefer later, actually

How high?

Countries With the Highest Overall Cancer Rates (per 100,000 Population)

Country Overall Males Females

Denmark 326.1 335 325

Ireland 317.0 356 285

Australia 314.1 361 274

New Zealand 309.2 338 287

Belgium 306.8 351 276

France (metropolitan) 300.4 361 255

United States 300.2 335 274

Norway 299.1 338 270

Canada 296.6 326 275

Czech Republic 295.0 349 259

source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/736355?src=rss

[MESmith]

Amazing how little interest or response this post has attracted. I guess nobody here eats vegetables.

[spirit47]

Amazing how little interest or response this post has attracted. I guess nobody here eats vegetables.

Here I'am, eating vegetables and fruits...

If possible, organic...

There is nearly no awareness about food, not only the vegetables, chicken and pork will be contaminated by medicine too.

[ourmanflint]

Serious news for the hundreds of Thai restaurants in the UK and elsewhere. I shall have to grow my own this year, in large amounts an all.

[Bagwan]

The report states that Thailand made the decision to stop exporting and the EU merely issued a warning. Given any Thai Government's capacity to bend the truth I wonder if this is just a face saving report and that the the truth is that the EU issued the ban.

I can well imagine the UK ultra conservative such as 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' reminding those about them , "See,I told you that no good would come from eating all that foreign muck".

[SouthernMan3]

Ever try growing your own food ?

Or do most of you live in condos and eat breakfast out at noon ?

[LaoPo]

The report states that Thailand made the decision to stop exporting and the EU merely issued a warning. Given any Thai Government's capacity to bend the truth I wonder if this is just a face saving report and that the the truth is that the EU issued the ban.

Yes, Thailand made the decision to stop exporting but only AFTER the EU implemented a total import stop on the vegetables' groups per February 1, 2011

The local EU importers are now working to install another "air bridge" for said vegetables with countries like Vietnam but that takes time, also because health certificates are needed since they don't want pesticides from other countries as well.

LaoPo

Edited January 27, 2011 by LaoPo

[nisakiman]

There is an alarming endnote to this issue: Vegetables sold on the local market generally have lower sanitary standards compared to those for exports. If the EU has sent us a warning about chemical contamination in our food exports, imagine what Thai consumers are exposed to every day.

I wonder whether this statement actually does apply. Consider local markets with vegetables brought in daily by local farmers or middle men. Not much control here, they say, and even chemical pesticides fertilizers, etc constitute costs most farmers would prefer not to have. Consider the fact that local consumers usually don't have the same standard as EU bureacrats to whom even the curvature of bananas or the uniform redness of tomatoes matters. Not to mention what it takes to make them look fresh weeks after they were harvested. Perhaps, when push come to shove, one isn't too bad off with the not-so-perfect looking tomatoes and cucumbers bought on the small neighborhood market?

I think you may well be right. Food for export to EU must meet certain visual criteria, not just those imposed by EU dictat, but also by the big buyers, Tesco et al. In order to fulfil those criteria (assuming that a big export order is worth investing in), farmers will do whatever it takes to provide what the buyer expects. The local markets are a different kettle of fish, and visual impact is not so critical. Ergo, less spent on expensive pesticides to produce a given weight of produce.

[MZurf]

Ever try growing your own food ? Nope.

Or do most of you live in condos and eat breakfast out at noon ? Yep. So what?

[SouthernMan3]

Ever try growing your own food ? Nope.

Or do most of you live in condos and eat breakfast out at noon ? Yep. So what?

So how can you expect to get clean food ?

I guess you don't expect to.

Leo te......

[MZurf]

Ever try growing your own food ? Nope.

Or do most of you live in condos and eat breakfast out at noon ? Yep. So what?

So how can you expect to get clean food ?

I guess you don't expect to.

Leo te......

Give me one good reason why people who don't grow their own food, live in condos and eat breakfast out at noon should not be able to buy healthy food???

Chang ta....

[SouthernMan3]

Ever try growing your own food ? Nope.

Or do most of you live in condos and eat breakfast out at noon ? Yep. So what?

So how can you expect to get clean food ?

I guess you don't expect to.

Leo te......

Give me one good reason why people who don't grow their own food, live in condos and eat breakfast out at noon should not be able to buy healthy food???

Chang ta....

I'll give you two.

Supply and demand.